Ivory Song
by TDBFly
Summary: The world fell soon after Naruto and Sasuke, but there is still a small pocket of resistance left. With the help of an ancient jujtsu, they intend to change time itself. Meet Shoko Hyuuga, the only one who can change the future. Rewritten entirely from my previous account - TheDarkTulip
1. Chapter 1

They don't know what the day, month or even the year is anymore. They've long forgotten, since the sun stopped rising they've seen little point in trying to keep track. They count the time in the wrinkles on their faces, and the scars on their bodies.

They also countdown the number of survivors. Once a group of thirty had become twenty seven, twenty one, seventeen…twelve…ten…

Now, all that was left was four. Shikamaru had been the last to perish; he had pushed Shoko Hyuuga out of the way of one of those strange sickening living branches that had struck through the back of his skull and out of his mouth.

His sacrifice could not be in vain. None of them could.

"Are we ready?" Sakura asked a patch over the sharingan she had been gifted by her sensei upon his own death.

She was decades away from mastering it, but it did enough to keep them going.

"We've followed all of Shikamaru's instructions," Gaara said, losing an arm had hardly stopped him being a destructive force "we just have to do it as quickly as we can before we are discovered."

It had been a nightmare to prepare, given they barely got an hour and half to stop and rest at any given time. Partially that had been Shikamaru's downfall. He was exhausted, when they stopped moving he had to keep going and figure out what to do next and the last few however many weeks he had been transcribing a jujtsu they had found in the ruins of something that once was a home.

It wasn't until he transcribed he that they realised they must have been on the Hyuuga compound, it was an ancient Hyuuga scroll.

Supposedly, it rewrote history.

They were desperate, so it would have to do.

Sumie was the last of the four to have made it so far. Her ability to track chakra was what had kept her alive.

Shoko watched, her Byakugan permanently active, she no longer felt her chakra drain the way it had once before because thanks to Naruto's final sacrifice their chakra limits were almost immeasurable. They would be safe a while longer, she couldn't see any coming threats and none of their traps had been set off. Not that they always were.

You just never knew when death was right behind you.

They moved to sit around the scroll, Sakura took the lead, reading the words and creating the symbols. They each cut their palms, and placed them flat onto the scroll. Shoko felt something burn, a deep coiling feeling inside her.

She frowned, a deep pit of fear opened up and she looked, wide eyed at Sakura.

"It has to be you," Sakura told her, knowing exactly what she thought "it has to be a Hyuuga, that's why, that's why Shikamaru saved you."

No, it was supposed to be Sakura they'd agreed. She was closest to them; she was the one that would have the most influence.

The world was melting away; Sumie, Gaara and Sakura were fading. Sakura smiled, it made her look youthful.

"We're relying on you."

The world exploded into pain, and a voice from a thousand years ago cackling into her very soul.

 _ **And so it begins!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Suddenly, she's there.

She leaps from whatever she's laying on, heart thundering at a thousand beats a second as she tries to place herself. She can't hear monsters, or the corpses of her fallen allies around her. She hears noises outside, but they are noises she's long forgotten.

Her world tilts for a moment, her brain trying to lock down on where she was and if she was in danger.

Her heart began to slow, the thudding of her heart in her ears dimmed down and she just stood in the darkness and listened.

There were noises outside, people, just living.

She almost had a panic attack; it had been so long since she'd heard _life_ that she thought it must be some kind of lie. Some deceit from _her_.

But no, the scroll, the scroll had _worked._

She felt slowly, old memories merging with new, she was at home.

By the gods she was _home_.

She fumbled, finding the light and blinking it out of her eyes until she could see properly. It was her childhood room, right after her parents had died in the battle against the Nine-Tailed Fox.

So, she must have been about ten or eleven. Maybe 12, she wasn't sure. She just knew she had to piece things together and quick.

The mirror caught her eyes. She wasn't in view, but it frightened her. The very last time she'd seen her reflection it had been in a muddy puddle, her hair had been short and a scar had torn across her face. She had been gaunt, wild eyed and ready for a fight.

After she stood there, waiting for _something_ to go wrong, for who knew how long (time had long since stopped mattering to her) she decided to creep over to her own reflection. Even her own footsteps frightened her.

They were so loud.

But there, in the mirror, was who she used to be.

Her long black her fell low on her back, there was no ghastly scar across her milk skin. The mark of her people remained on her forehead, letting her know that she was no longer the last Hyuuga. And she was so young, so very very young.

She pulled away her night clothes, staring at her unmarked body. No scars, no cuts, no memories of what was to come. She shuddered, she didn't even have her Byakugan yet.

It didn't matter, she would have to work hard to activate it, to integrate herself into the timeline. Who had been close to it all? She knew who, the ninja that had taught them.

She had barely known the teachers of the next generation, it was unusual for a Hyuuga to take on outsider students and after the war when everyone was far more integrated than they were now, they had simply refused to take on teams.

It had been a selfish, elitist choice, she hoped she could change.

But at least, at least she knew what she could do, befriend those ninja, push herself closer to her clan head, push for a more united village.

Become stronger, stronger than she had every thought she could be before.

Right now, Shoko Hyuuga had some work to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**One Month Later.**

It's a lot harder to get back into life than she could ever have expected, every time she saw a familiar face she saw their corpse, held together by devilish power, hunting them through the vines. She had nightmares so strong she woke screaming and covered in a cold sweat.

It had gotten so bad the clan was starting to pay unwanted attention to her new behaviour.

The old Shoko had been a shy thing, timid and terrible at handling confrontation.

This Shoko was cold, calculating and cutting. Her tongue and wit were as sharp as a blade, and she found herself cutting into people without remorse.

It took her a little while, with her unrefined chakra and limited ability, but she managed to soundproof her room with a few tags, keeping people away for a little longer.

 _I forgot how weak and pathetic I used to be._

Even though she had been a student of Kushina, she had never lived up to the potential her sensei saw in her.

 _And you failed her son. Don't forget that._

She had been an odd number, and considered pretty unremarkable, so she had been shoved off into the fray along with the other children of the village. She was one of the only ones who was put in a team that wasn't entirely Hyuuga.

After her Sensei had died, she'd been sucked back into clan life, and back into the Hyuuga regime. Perhaps the outside world didn't notice, or maybe they just chose to ignore, how arrogant her family was because of some dumb eyes.

Mind, the Uchiha had been the same.

Speaking of, she found it so odd to watch the Uchiha in the village once more. They would all be dead soon, she thought whenever she saw them, dead and unimportant.

She spent her time isolated from her family, and from the village too. She was in the forest, training, always training. The village was still recovering from the Nine-Tails attack, so long as she aided with the recovery when asked she was mostly ignored.

Or at least, that was what she had thought.

"Shoko." A voice called, she turned, recognising the Hyuuga guard uniform her relative wore "You've been summoned by Lord Hyuuga."

She just nodded, following the guard down the halls and towards the private rooms the Clan heads used to deal with…well, private matters.

Lord Hyuuga was with his brother, both of them seemed so light and whole, Hinata was on the way and he was anxiously preparing to be a father.

"Ah Shoko, please sit."

She sat silently, the guard left and she heard the door click shut behind them. Her knee bounced up and down, she hated sitting still. It was like waiting for an attack in a prone position and she hated it so much.

"There has been some…concern, about you lately Shoko." Hiashi told her, hands clasped on the desk in front of him.

When she didn't respond, the Lord Hyuuga continued.

"You vanished during the Nine-Tails attack," He told her, making her frown, she didn't remember that happening in the original timeline "we know you have already told us you don't remember what happened, but nevertheless your behaviour has us worried. And not just the clan."

"I'm fine."

Hizashi scowled at her "Do you think we didn't notice the tags?"

Ah. Yes. Perhaps she hadn't hidden them as well as she originally thought. She just shrugged.

"I was waking people up, so I dealt with it."

Clearly, not the answer they wanted.

"The Hokage has decided you aren't fit for missions-"

"Wait _**what?!"**_

Oh no, no no nonononONONONO.

She couldn't be kept from missions, she needed to fight, needed to fight people who _actually_ wanted to kill her. How else would she hone her skills? Also, the more she went out and took part in missions, the more chance she had to meet the other main players.

"You need to heal from whatever happened Shoko," Hizashi told her gently "memory or no, it is _destroying you."_

She had been pretending not to notice her skinny she was getting, how she barely ate and barely slept, focusing entirely on her goal. She stood, angry at them both and the Hokage and just _everything._

"Shoko-"

She hissed a curse at them and stomped out of the room, dashing through the winding corridors of her home and out into the sun. The clear air cleared her head, and reminded her that things were good now, she should be enjoying them.

Except she couldn't.

War was coming, she had to be ready.

She stomped out of the compound, ignoring the ninja on the gates when they called to her. She just wanted to be alone for a little while, in the quiet of the forest where she could think.

Instead, she found her feet taking her to Kushina and Minato's grave.

She knelt in front of it, staring up at her sensei's name. It had only been six months since the attack, only one month since she herself had returned. Things had changed already, her whole family spoke about her mystery disappearance and she was positive that hadn't happened in the original timeline.

Still, it gave her excuses for her odd behaviour, so she took it.

She knelt quietly for a long time, listening to the wind and feeling it in her hair and on her skin.

"Hello Sensei." She finally greeted softly, she still found herself whispering when it was quiet, unable to shake a decade's worth of habit.

"I'm sorry I didn't come see you…before."

She'd never visited her, not once in her previous life had she visited the woman she had admired so deeply. She found herself looking back at her life with only regret, the glory of hindsight.

"I wonder what you'd say about all this sensei."

Except she knew what Kushina would say. She'd smack her across the back of the head and demand to know why she wasn't looking after herself, demand to know how she expected to help anyone when she was a scrawny wreck.

She sighed "I'll do better," she promised "I'll eat better; I can't promise I'll sleep any better but…I'll try to make some friends."

She looked up at the stone, a little part of her wanted some sort of response or affirmation but as always, the dead did not reply. Actually, she took that back, she never wanted to get a response from the dead ever again.

"I'll be a student you can be proud of from now on, not like…not like who I was before."

How could Kushina ever have been proud of the life she had ended up with, how could she be proud of the student who had abandoned her son to hell.

She sat there a little longer, until footsteps woke her from her daze.

She turned, seeing the Hokage. She felt a little anger at him, taking her off active duty, but just nodded respectfully at him.

"Hello Shoko, I hear you have been struggling lately."

She huffed, forgetting herself "Lord Hyuuga has spoken to me, so you've done a lot more than just _heard_ about whatever it is everyone has decided is happening."

He didn't reply immediately, he had some flowers with him, so he laid them down in front of where she was kneeling.

"Your family is worried," He told her, just as calm and gentle as he had been before her snap "they have noticed a change in you since your disappearance."

There is was again, the 'disappearance'.

"I _keep telling you-"_

"That you don't remember," He finished "Nobody disbelieves you, but perhaps you should allow your family to help."

She decided she was done with this conversation.

"Goodbye Lord Hokage."

She didn't care to wait for his response, she just had to get this fixed.

When she was gone, the Hokage turned to where Kakashi had lingered behind, hidden from the Hyuuga girl.

"Do you believe her?" Kakashi asked as Shoko was not the only one that had changed recently.

"That she doesn't remember? Yes."

Kakashi seemed unconvinced but since Minato's death he had been colder and less trusting than ever. Everyone was an enemy, even if they weren't. Gai seemed to be the only person that could get through to him right now.

"Do I think she's headed for an early grave? Also, yes." He turned back to the grave of his former student and stared at his name "Hopefully, she meant what she said to Kushina."

Hopefully, he did not need another young person destroying themselves over something they could not have prevented.

 **Three Months After Return.**

Her cheeks are fuller now. Her sleep is still stressful, and the bags under her eyes demonstrate that, but at least she is eating. Socialising is a struggle; she's still barely speaking to her family let alone other ninja. But she tries, she gets weird stares but she tries.

The village is slowly but surely pulling itself back together, they finally have an idea of just how much loss they suffered.

Funerals are en masse, people grieve quietly and in private.

In the village itself, stores are opening again and Shoko finally forces herself into town. It's noisier here, and her heart thuds terribly inside her.

It's safe here, even if her body screams _no it isn't!_

She's actually in town to run errands for the clan, deliver some orders for the Lord and his brother and deliver a note to the Hokage announcing the birth of Hinata. They'd kept it surprisingly quiet given she was already over two months old.

Still she puttered around town and delivered food orders and the like, saving her trip to the Hokage's office till last. Since she was off-duty, she had basically become the errand girl for the main family, as well as Hizashi's helper and occasional babysitter for Neji.

It was in town, that she came across Asuma.

He was one of the few people she saw, recognised, and didn't see their death flash in front of her. Asuma had been dead before the battle, she hadn't seen him in the aftermath or had his corpse chase her through the end of the world.

He was just…Asuma.

"Hello."

He had been daydreaming and smiled when she interrupted his thoughts.

"Hello there, can I help you?"

She shook her head "No, I just thought I'd say hello. My name is Shoko Hyuuga."

She held out a pale hand, and he shook it, still smiling.

"Asuma Sarutobi, nice to meet you."

Her skin was still taught, she wondered what he thought of her.

"The Hyuuga have really helped the village lately," He told her "it's been good to see."

She shrugged "It's our village too, if we got out of our arses a little more we'd probably have seen that before all this happened."

He stared at her oddly, most Hyuuga would have doted over that sort of compliment to the family. Asuma credited himself in being a good diplomate and a charming person, but Shoko didn't seem impressed by his attempt to credit her family.

He also couldn't pretend he hadn't heard the discussion between her clan her and the Hokage, when they had begged her to be taken off duty for concerns over her mental health.

"Are you busy?" He asked her, noticing her pockets were stuffed with notes and pieces of paper.

She sighed "I have to deliver a message to the Hokage, plus some other things I've already done."

"Well," He smiled "I'll accompany you to the Hokage's tower, I'm due over for mission report about ten minutes ago."

She smiled at that, and they walked together towards the tower in a comfortable silence. He could see that she was awfully pale, even for a Hyuuga, and her sharp cheeks were highlighted by her slight frame.

He figured she could probably do with getting out a bit more.

"Do you have any free time tomorrow evening?"

Shoko was surprised at the question, as they came to the door of the Hokage's tower, the mission office was on the floor below, so they would separate soon.

"Uh…I think so?"

"Well, me and some of my friends are going for dinner, I can come meet you at the compound at about five?"

She stared at him, when was the last time she'd actually…gone _out_ for food? She couldn't even remember.

"Uh, sure. That, I would like that."

He smiled, and waved her goodbye as she headed up the stairs to the Hokage to tell him the good news.

Well, maybe she was good at socialising after all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Three Months, and One Day after. Dinner with Asuma and?**

She tries to look a little put together when Asuma arrives, putting on some nice clothes (she'd had to ask one of her cousins for help, her wardrobe was somewhat barren) and pulled her hair back out of her face. It still felt weird, but she kept her headband tied around her forehead to hide the mark than made her a branch member.

Asuma was outside the compound promptly at five, and met her with another one of those charming grins she remembered from before and lead her happily through the town.

She'd had to tell Hiashi and Hizashi she would be unavailable that evening, and both of them had _conveniently_ been walking past the front of the compound when Asuma had arrived.

They glared at the back of his head, silent warnings to bring her back happy and in one piece.

She glowered over her shoulder at them both, they were worse than old women sometimes with the way they overshadowed her life.

"It's just a small get together," He told her as they walked "at a local barbeque place we all like."

She nodded, she liked barbeque.

"We told Kakashi to arrive at half three so he should actually be on time for a change."

She frowned, who kept time that poorly that they had to lie about what time to arrive? She'd not had many dealings with Kakashi Hatake in the original timeline so maybe she would be able to get to know him and others this time around.

The closer she became to the main players, the better she could prepare them and herself for the battle that was coming.

When the pair arrived, she definitely recognised a few of the faces before they introduced themselves. Kurenai, Kakashi (who they were mocking for being on time due to their lies) Gai, and the collective Ino-Shika-Cho trio amongst a few others.

It wasn't a small gathering at all, they had pushed three tables together so they would all fit.

They greeted Asuma warmly, and said their hellos to Shoko who managed to get pushed between Gai and Kurenai once they were all sat down.

She was pleased it was finger food, she had already felt nervous about someone mentioning how small her portions were but with a get-it-yourself barbeque it would be harder to notice what she was or wasn't eating.

She didn't chat too much, she was happy to let them chat around her and answer questions when asked.

"So, what is your role in the clan?" Kurenai asked her "I don't see you take missions often."

Or at all, she thought.

"I assist Lord Hyuuga." She told her, picking at a rib.

She was honestly more focused on eating a decent sized meal than she was on the conversation, oblivious to the fact Kurenai had snuck a few extra bits on her plate when Asuma was distracting her. She was starting to feel bloated, she'd finish this rib and that was enough.

"What a great honour to assist the head of the family!" Gai exploaded, earning snickers from a nearby table of Hyuuga.

Shoko sighed "I'm just an errand girl honestly."

She could hear the Hyuuga's near their table mocking them and did her best to ignore them. She had been mocked relentlessly for being taken off active duty, scornful older ninja making comments about the weakness of the new generations and younger ninjas getting angry that one cousin was getting them all branded badly.

"Still," Asuma added "you must get to see a lot about how the clan is run?"

She shrugged "Mostly I see the trade dealings, the compound produces most of its own food, but we trade with the other clans and the village for the things we can't produce."

The group actually looked interested, not many of them got to go anywhere near something that important, they just did what the mission told them to do and that was about it.

"You must see lots of other clan heads then." Kurenai commented.

"A few, sometimes I take meeting notes but-"

One of the Hyuuga from the nearby table had come over, halting the conversation.

"Shoko." He said, she recognised him and nodded.

"Hello Hiro."

He glowered "Is it appropriate for you to be out?"

She shrunk into herself, "I am allowed to go out for food."

He sniffed "You should be at the compound, you are a liability."

Asuma watched, angry, at the way Shoko just shrunk and allowed the other Hyuuga to berate her. She was just having food for gods sake why was it any of his business.

"Hiro Hyuuga?" Kakashi asked, in a thoughtful voice.

Hiro turned his eyes to him, scowling through his feminine lashes.

"Didn't you get hospitalised recently?"

Instantly, he turned beet red. Shoko snorted, she had heard all about his recent hospitalisation, after he taunted the local wildlife and ended up with a rather nasty snake bite in a rather…sensitive area of his body. It had been a hot topic in the compound, given the nature of the injury.

"If you want to spend time with outsiders, fine." Hiro hissed "But don't blame us when you go crazy and frighten them all off."

The sudden change in Shoko was frightening. Her hands clenched the table so tight the wood snapped and cracked under the face of her grip. Splinters cut into her hands, and she gave an aura of _death._

Even Hiro looked unnerved.

Shoko stood, releasing the table, but still holding the tension in every single muscle.

"I need to go home."

Before Kurenai could make a move to stop her, Shoko had leapt out of the booth and out the door of the BBQ. They stared after her, and Kurenai stood and turned angrily to Hiro.

"You're supposed to be her family!" She yelled at him, making him shrink now "Why don't you help her instead of trying to torment her!"

He just shirked back to the table of Hyuuga, who had gone very quiet at her words. Kurenai sat back down, but the mood of the evening had been ruined.

"Is she?" Shikaku asked "Crazy I mean?"

Asuma sighed "She was signed off active-duty not long after the attack, something to do with her mental stability."

"She just seems so lonely," Choza said with a mouthful of beef "and she's so skinny."

Asuma just nodded, but said nothing more. When they finally headed home, he had talked quietly to them about perhaps trying again, this time without the other Hyuuga to ruin the evening.

"You're very interested in her," Kakashi pointed out "why?"

They were walking through the village, it was much quieter now so he felt he could share the details of what he had heard.

"She disappeared during the attack, doesn't have any recollection of it but apparently she came back a totally different person," He explained "screaming in her sleep, unable to eat, going crazy whenever there's a loud noise."

"That…that sounds like…"

"Yeah," He told Gai "It sounds like something big happened, but if she can't remember what then how can she get better?"

"You want to help her remember?" Kakashi asked.

"I just want to help her; nobody should go through that alone."

They dispersed, but did not forget about her.

 **Six months after.**

As it turns out, Shoko feels a lot more like herself when she gets her eating habits under control. When she looks in the mirror, her cheeks are fuller and pinker, and she's lost the sickly glaze to her eyes. It's impossible to sleep for longer than three hours, but loud noises no longer make her jump.

Her eyes have activated, but she hasn't told anyone yet.

"So," Hiashi told her "give it another few months and we might be able to get you back on active duty again."

She grinned, unable to stop herself.

Finally, she needs to get out there again. Her training has been going well, even if she is learning in secret she knew it would help her eventually.

Neji gurgles in her arms, and she coos down at him happily. Hinata is held close to her mother, her adorable eyes bright and brilliant. They're both so wonderful, she thinks, so wonderful and _young._

She's out again tonight, this time with Kakashi, Gai, Asuma and Kurenai. Just going out and having friends and doing the things that young ninja did.

Her birthday was coming up soon; apparently she was going to be twelve. She didn't really keep track, she was in her late thirties in the last timeline, in fact she might have been in her forties for all she knew.

Thankfully, she'd only got a few light duties today before she heads out to see her friends, they've tried pretty hard to make sure she feels included in their activities but it was hard when they were away on missions and she was stuck in the village.

"Alright," Hiashi sighs throwing the last bit of paperwork tiredly towards her "that's all the compounds new permissions for expansion signed off and acknowledged for the Hokage."

They were undergoing some changes in the compound, and old wing was being torn down and rebuilt with a few expansions, which required purchasing land from the village itself. It had been signed off on already, given the land was dead and no good for anything except building.

Still, the paperwork had taken _weeks_ for Hiashi to read, have looked over by advisors, and then sign. Now it once she had taken it to the Hokage she would be done for the day.

"Maybe you should take the rest of the day off too Hiashi," She told him "You know what they about all work and no play."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, he was tired and honestly needed a rest from all the work, but they were still rebuilding the village and all the clans were under extreme pressure.

"No, I'll finish after the next batch." He decided, she shrugged.

"Well I'll be back tonight, I'll see you tomorrow."

They bid her farewell and she held the paperwork tightly in her arms, as she headed through the village.

Despite the destruction, the village was doing well. They all knew that the attack would hit them for generations, many had died and by the time Naruto got to the academy she knew the classes would be less than half the size they once were.

Speaking of Naruto, nobody actually knew where he was being raised, supposedly in top secret. Eventually she would have to find out where he was, he deserved better than what he had originally gotten and now she had the sense of mind to fix it she would do just that.

She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice she'd arrived at the Hokage's office. She bumped into the door, and blinked herself out of her stupor, before knocking a few times.

"Come in."

She pushed the door open, and paused. The Hokage was not alone, Danzo was also there. He'd always made her feel deeply uncomfortable, she held the papers a little tighter to her chest.

"Lord Hokage, Lord Hyuuga's expansion paperwork is ready for you."

He smiled "Thank you Shoko, please could you bring them over?"

She tried not to shudder as she walked past Danzo, handing the papers over to the Hokage and nodding her head in respect as he placed them in front of him.

"You would let the Hyuuga expand?" Danzo demanded "After they did so little in the attack?"

If she had been truly as young as she appeared, she might have reacted to his statement. As it was, she quite agreed with him. It was a sad moment in Hyuuga history, that they responded so slowly to the attack and did so little to help protect the village.

Still, she didn't even pretend she cared about what he was saying.

"Thank you for your time, Lord Hokage."

She gave a little bow, and a sympathetic smile, and left him to deal with Danzo alone. Now, she was going to see her friends.


	5. Chapter 5

**One year After. Nine years till Naruto graduates**

At thirteen, and back on missions, Shoko notices there is a change in the way the clan notices her. Some glower at her, and some acknowledge her in a more friendly way than they had before. It's odd, she knows she has worked hard and become much stronger than before but she really paid little attention to it.

Until she is asked to be part of the Hyuuga guard.

"You…want me on the guard?" She asks, not quite sure of what she's hearing.

"Yes," Hiashi tells her "You are close to the main branch, as well as my brother and Neji, it makes sense given your current level as a ninja that you would be part of the guard."

It was a tremendous honour in the compound, to be part of the main branch's family guard. It meant that although they could still take missions from the village, during political visits they would guard the main branch and the closest heirs (aka Hizashi and Neji) during these affairs.

It meant that she could maybe, just maybe save Hizashi from the fate the previous timeline had given him.

"I'd be honoured to be part of the guard, Lord Hyuuga."

She really was, her mother and elder brother had been part of it before their deaths. Her brother had died saving the previous Lord Hyuuga, and both her parents had perished during the futile defence against the ninetails.

She was already close to the main branch, and still assisted Hiashi with daily tasks even around her missions so really she was already part of the guard, now it was just official.

"I know you're off duty today," He continued "So we'll wait until tomorrow to go through all the boring bits of your duties."

She grinned and thanked him, ruffling a toddling Neji's hair and cooing at Hinata as she left. She wanted to tell Kurenai immediately about the good news. She skipped through the streets; she was sleeping better now, but had permanent bags under her eyes from her previous lack of sleep.

She was also a lot stronger than she had ever been before, she enjoyed the way she felt like a solid piece of earth when people tried to spar her. It felt empowering.

However, she realised that Kurenai was not in fact in the village right now, she was out for another day or so after weird activity had been seen on the outskirts of the village. She knew it was Orochimaru, and soon he'd be banished from the village, but for now she kept herself quiet.

There wasn't anything she could do against someone as strong as Orochimaru, no way in hell.

Still, she could spend her extra time training for a little while longer, she had found some earth scrolls she was going to spend some time learning. It turns out the Hyuuga, given their affinity for chakra, the natural energy of the earth, were very good earth style users if they put themselves towards it.

However, currently it was still largely frowned upon for Hyuuga to practise anything outside the house techniques. So she practised alone, in the quiet of the forests where the training grounds were. They used to be so busy, now they were always so quiet.

She had also acquired the scrolls from Hizashi's personal collection, so she'd rather not have any prying eyes in case she was accused of searching for secret Hyuuga main branch techniques. It wasn't her fault she babysat Neji in Hizashi's room and when he went down for a nap she was left to roam.

As usual, the rocky patch just on the edge of the forest was free, and she pulled her newest scroll from inside her clothes. It wasn't anything super complex, but she was trying to go over the things she had learnt before, and it was proving difficult without Naruto's final sacrifice there to unlock their true potential.

It had been a shocking, frightening moment when Naruto had died. He was just gone, Kaguya had done _something_ mystical and all powerful, and he had crumpled and rotten before them. She had returned him to the earth from which they all came.

The Earth remembers.

Still, she had to try and gain as much strength as she could now, that way if it ever came down to it she'd be able to do better next time. Hopefully, it wouldn't ever come to that again.

Her hands flicked rapidly through the symbols, she could feel the chakra surge around every part of her system, but when she placed her hands onto the ground, although it cracked and rolled, it was hardly the _wave_ she had been aiming for.

She tried again, but still the same pathetic little roll of earth.

She tried for several hours, but the roll refused to grow into a wave of earth the way she wanted. Frustrated, she sat in front of the scroll and stared at the instructions.

"I'm doing all that?" She asked nobody in particular "I'm doing everything that's written, I'm doing the signs, I'm pumping the chakra?"

Honestly, this was a lot easier when she had access to infinite chakra.

"What is it?"

She turned, jumping to her feet as she did so. Gai was peering over at her from the edge of the rocky clearing, looking curious. She shimmied in front of the scroll, very aware of the fact she shouldn't have it.

"Nothing." She huffed, but Gai was either deliberately oblivious or just that dumb, and shot around her to grab the scroll.

He was so fast.

"Ah! Earth jujtsu! I wasn't aware you studied anything outside the Hyuuga techniques?" He was grinning at her, and she shuffled in space.

"I uh…decided to branch out."

He raised an eyebrow "Aaaaaah, so this is something private?"

He rolled the scroll and handed it to her, and she stuffed it back into her jacket. She was done for if he decided to tell anyone about what she was doing.

"It's just a personal project."

He nodded "Ah yes, I actually came to ask you something."

"Sure."

"I have sparred with Kakashi many times, and enjoy the challenge his Sharingan presents…however, I would like to try fighting against a Bykagun user also."

She shuffled in place "I don't have it yet." It was a lie, she didn't trust him with it yet.

He blinked "Oh? Well, perhaps if we train together we can spur it along!"

Good old Gai, she thought, even when presented with something different he found a way to make it a positive. Plus, she could learn an awful lot sparring with someone as talented as Gai.

"I need a new sparring partner, sure."

He leapt into the air "Huzzah! I will come visit you when we are both free!"

He charged off, the scroll she had been studying completely forgotten. Gai would be a challenging partner for sure, and she could only hope to grow from there.


	6. Chapter 6

As part of the Hyuuga guard, she is given certain new responsibilities within the clan. Ergo, she basically became the personal babysitter for the twins and their spawn. Not that she didn't love spending time with Neji (and Hinata and Hanabi when the time came) but her guard duties took priority over village missions.

She had never understood the frustrations of the village before, of course the clan came first, but now she had the perspective of an adult she understood it far more. The village was struggling after the attack, it would struggle until the end, and the Hyuuga could have done so much more and they didn't.

"You see Neji," She cooed at him as he gurgled on her lap "in death we are all the same, we all return to the dirt."

Morbid, but true. Neji didn't understand, so really what did it matter?

She had kept her Byakugan from her clan, but had decided to tell Gai about it. Gai and Asuma, who had decided to take on the role of older brother, as though she needed another one.

They'd invited her out tonight for something to eat, but once her shift with Neji was finished she had to escort Lord Hyuuga to a clan meeting, along with the other members of her guard shift. The guard had six shifts that rotated every week, one week would be spent aiding the clan, then one week would be spent aiding the main (and first branch) family.

The next two weeks they could take village missions or rest, and unfortunately many chose rest.

So when Neji drifted off and she was relieved by Hiro (why did it have to be _him_?) She made her way towards her new mission.

But not before Hiro stopped her at the door.

"It's not our job to get close to them Shoko." He told her sternly "The clan will become suspicious."

She rolled her eyes "Just because you've got no heart, doesn't mean I don't. Now move before I move you."

He stood aside, glowering at her all the while. One minute he berated her for not being close to the clan, then he berates her for being close to the clan. She couldn't win with that boy.

She puts it out of her head and finds her captain, Eio, and joins her guard shift as they escort Lord Hyuuga through the village.

She catches sight of her friends, but only makes eye contact with Kakashi as she passes. For some reason, she feels like he's glaring at her.

But she ignored it, her duty right now was to her Lord, nothing else.

Kakashi hated the Hyuuga guard. Most ninja did. It was almost as bad as the Uchiha police force but they at least worked for the entire village and not just themselves. He caught Shoko's eye for a moment, the soft blue of her guards uniform accentuated the paleness of her skin and the pinkness of her lips.

He tried not to analyse that too much.

"Any idea what it's about?" Gai asked softly, aware of the crowd.

"Danzo causing trouble."

His green-clad friend nodded, and tried not to worry about Shoko.

He enjoyed the younger girls company, and her dry wit. She tried hard in their sparring matches, she had some natural talent but she had a whole lot more determination. He understood her views about needing to branch out from her clan techniques, but couldn't understand her paranoia.

It wasn't that she was looking out for her clan, discovering her secret, no she was looking out for threats. She was like a ninja involved in war, not a girl a year younger than himself.

"She worries me." He told his friend, who just grunted.

"Nobody knows what happened during the attack, but it's damaged her forever."

Kakashi nodded "One day she'll snap."

Gai scowled at Kakashi.

"Don't say things like that Kakashi, she's our friend."

No, Kakashi thought, Shoko was Gai's friend. Shoko was Kakashi's _mission._

It became apparent as soon as they arrived that the meeting was going to be trouble, given that Danzo was hovering at the head of the table as close as he could get to the Hokage without actually touching him, and several other clan heads were glaring daggers at him.

Still, Lord Hyuuga paid his respects to the other clan heads and sat across from Lord Uchiha. Who was here with his own guard, including Itachi.

It was weird looking at him here, knowing what was to come.

 _And why. Remember what Sakura told you._

God Sakura, she must have only been a toddler right now. How strange to try and think of her as anything different than the capable leader, who saved them countless times from the gaping maw of death.

"Thank you all for coming," The Hokage smiled "As usual, we will go through our needs and trade deals for each clan before we move onto any pressing issues."

Tuning out, Shoko took a moment to survey the room around her. The other clan heads came without any protection, they did not have the means for such luxuries. She tried not to look directly at Danzo, but caught sight of something in his hand.

A small diary, a familiar diary.

She caught his eyes, feeling heat rise behind her face.

He noticed, and she saw his mouth twitch.

"Perhaps Lord Hyuuga," He interrupted Shikaku Nara "You could tell your guard to pay attention."

She cut off Lord Hyuuga's response.

"Perhaps Danzo," She ground out between her clenched teeth "You can tell me why you've got the diary my brother was buried with."

She was sure she wasn't the only one that noticed his barely perceptible twitch, as the corners of his mouth dropped back down.

Lord Hyuuga noticed the diary himself.

"You need to return that immediately." He ordered, "And explain how you got it from our clan grave!"

Clearly, this had not happened the first time around, as Danzo had clenched his teeth.

"It was given to me, I was unaware of where it came from."

He tossed it onto the table and Shoko snatched it up, clutching it to her chest.

Her brother, although she had loved him dearly, had been unhinged in the end. Nobody had known the truth until his death, and she had found his diary. Inside were ramblings, crazed ramblings about….

About time travel.


	7. Chapter 7

It felt like the meeting would never end, but when it did and when they finally got back home she darted to her room to re-read the diary.

Most of it was deluded, but knowing what she did, made a lot more sense than it once had.

He even went as far as to mention the scroll directly, as well as ramblings about how he hid it.

 _ **Perhaps,**_ He wrote in trailing scrawls, _**It was not meant for me. But I know the truth, I know the main branch should not hold their position. The boy was not his. The girl was. Our ancestor. It was supposed to be us.**_

She flipped through more aimless rambling until she understood what it said again.

 _ **Learning her name was the hardest. It took me years to re-find the scroll. I had to do it, I hope mother and father can forgive me. But once I knew her name, she became the person she once was.**_

Shoko didn't have a clue who this mystery woman was, but her brother mentioned him several times over and over again.

 _ **I went back again. This is the last time. I cannot do that to Shoko again, it isn't fair. I can barely stand to look at her for all the wrong I've done.  
I'll never tell her. Let her live in ignorance; don't let her remember how many times she's died for my selfish purpose.**_

She put the diary down, died? Her brother hadn't…he wouldn't ever hurt her. She'd adored him, and he had doted on her all the way up till his death. Sure, he'd grown odder as he'd grown older, but…she just assumed that was the trauma of being a high ranked member of the guard. He'd witnessed massacres, of course he became distant.

But, but this was proof that he had done something to her, something he shouldn't have.

She stared at it, took a deep breath and opened it up again, to the final entry.

 _ **This is it. I know I said I wouldn't go back again, but I've learnt the truth of the scroll. It was never meant for me. I pray that when Shoko discovers it for herself, that I'll be able to help guide her through it.  
I'm going to take her somewhere safe, keep her away from the nine tails attack.  
As far as they are concerned, only one of us has to die tonight and it can be me. It doesn't have to be her this time.**_

 _ **Shoko, should you ever find this, I'm sorry.**_

He had died so she wouldn't. That was what had happened on the night of the attack, it didn't explain why she couldn't remember but it gave her something.

She put it down again, before deciding to hide it inside her wardrobe. She didn't want to know how Danzo had gotten hold of it, and he hadn't stayed long enough to explain himself, essentially running from the room after he handed the book back to her.

The Hokage had promised an investigation, she knew they wouldn't find anything.

But the book was a start; her brother had used the scroll to change time and to save her. She would probably never know the extent of what he did, but maybe she could use it to change what she needed. First, she had to figure out where he had taken her that night.

"Alright then," She muttered to herself "I guess we need to go find brothers things."

She knew where they were, they would be in the archives along with her branch lines documents and ancestry. Of course it only went so far back, but maybe it would help her.

It was late, but she had keys to the archives anyway. Special guard privileges.

When she found her branch, she felt hesitant to open her families things. It had been an awful long time since she had seen this stuff, decades and decades. She wasn't sure how much it would hurt to be reminded of them.

She pulled the first box, with her mother's name engraved on the front. She fought the urge to look inside, she could come back to look another time. Right now, she had to find Kaiyo's box. Her fathers was next, and her brothers was tucked down at the back

She carefully, and gently pulled open the lid. It was dusty, but she found more of what she was looking for. Another two diaries, and some family pictures. There was one of the pair of them as kids, a sweet picture of them in the compound gardens playing in the flowers together.

It had been a long time since she had missed her brother, but she missed him now.

"I thought you might come here."

She turned to her Lord, and bowed her head.

"Danzo made me paranoid. I just wanted to make sure…"

He nodded "I don't blame you. I assure you we will find out how he got hold of that diary."

She shrugged "I'm more worried about what he thought he was going to do with it."

She'd never been on anyone's radar in the previous timeline, so hadn't felt the ramifications of what Danzo had planned on doing. Thankfully, they wouldn't find out for a long time.

"I have no idea." Hiashi admitted with a frown "I was hoping you'd have some insight."

She shrugged "Not right now, but I wanted to read his diaries again…maybe there was something I missed."

He nodded, and reached out to rest his hand reassuringly on her shoulder.

"Your brother was a good man and a great ninja," He told her kindly "he'd be very proud of you."

 _But don't forget he claimed to kill you…multiple times._

She just nodded. Pushing things back in the box to take to her room. It wasn't mad ramblings, you just had to know the code and she knew her brothers code. She understood his madness now. She hoped she didn't end up mad alongside his memory.

"I've taken you off shift tomorrow," He told her "read the diaries, take some time. Come back for your following shift."

She nodded, clutching her brothers box to her chest.

"Thank you brother."


	8. Chapter 8

**6 Months later. 8 years and six months before (est)**

The diaries yield varying different results. There's clearly a piece of the puzzle missing but there are no clues where she can search for them.

"I just don't get it Kushina-Sensei." She mutters at the foot of the shrine "I just can't figure out what he _means._ "

The shrine does not respond, it never does. She holds the diary gently, the one's she found in the archives only gave her hints and tips about what the scrolls further powers were and she was no closer to finding this mystery woman her brother forever spoke about.

"I wish he were here." She sighed, standing and bowing one final time to the shrine.

Of course it wasn't just Kushina and the fourth whose names were carved into the stone tablet, there were many names of people who were lost on that fateful night.

Instead, Shoko has an epiphany.

In his diaries, her brother states simple that he hides her on the night of the nine tails attack.

Except, he had already died by that point, two years prior in fact.

He was still alive.

 _He was still ALIVE._ S

She can hear gentle voices behind her, and finds herself hiding behind a nearby rockface and pressing herself into the ground. She frowns, where had the urge to hide come from? People came and visited these shrines all the time and she'd never hidden before.

"So Kakashi, have you been able to find out anything new?"

It was the Hokage, and obviously Kakashi was with him. How odd, she didn't think the Hokage really had the time for casual strolls with his subordinates.

"Nothing worth noting," Kakashi responded "I am still suspicious."

 _Typical Kakashi._ She thought to herself as she steadied her breathing, inhaling the musk the mud around her.

"Why? I am not."

"I don't doubt that Shoko Hyuuga-"

Her brain stuttered inside her head.

"-is an ally of the village. But she is hiding something."

The Hokage sighed, she heard the shuffling as he knelt in front of the shrine where she had knelt mere moments ago. They were talking about her, why would they be talking about her?

"I want you to continue your mission," The Hokage told him "keep an eye on her, and let me know if anything develops."

They were spying on her. _Kakashi_ was spying on her. He was one of the key players in the future of the village and of Naruto, and the only reason he paid her any heed at all was because he was a spy. Her chest ached, she really thought she'd been able to make a friend out of Kakashi but clearly she had been wrong.

It shouldn't have ached really, she was just as bad. She was essentially using them to influence the future anyways, even if it was for the right reason that didn't change it.

It didn't make the ache go away, but it helped her to rationalise it inside her a little bit. Clearly, she'd let her emotions get too involved. Perhaps some separation from her friends was due.

She waited a long time for the pair to leave, they stayed in silence after their discussion about her and Kakashi's 'mission'.

Even after they left, she waited a good hour before moving from her spot and disturbing the dirt on her front. She made her way slowly home, trying to ignore the desire to cry. Kushina was still her friend, and so was Gai and Asuma.

It didn't make her feel any better, but she didn't turn up for training the next day, and decided that was just going to have to be the way it was.

Until she got the mission.

 **3 Weeks later.**

It doesn't annoy her to be on this mission, not at all. Why would she be annoyed. After all she had only spent the last three weeks avoiding Kakashi like the plague so why would she be annoyed that he was leading her on this mission?

She barely glanced at the Hokage, preferring to glare out the window behind him.

"Our envoys to the sand aren't returning, we suspect the sand itself is taking them down after the air silence we have had from them," He told her, Kakashi, Gai and Kurenai as they prepared for the mission.

"At least we did until we got this message from the sand."

He pushed it forwards and Kurenai took it to read.

"It says that there is a ninja killing all their envoys and ours, under the employ of Orochimaru." She read to them, before handing the letter to the gathered ninja.

Sure enough, it claimed that a ninja who claimed to be a servant of Orochimaru had taken the lives of the envoys both the leaf and sand were sending to try and prevent a treaty between the two villages.

"You're sure it's not fake?" Gai asked, frowning down at the letter.

It was unlike the sand to ask for a treaty, they were either in a bad way and desperate or lying altogether.

"I don't know." The Hokage told them "But I want the four of you to go and investigate, if you can get through to the sand be careful about whom you trust, however should you meet this emissary of Orochimaru then I want you to retreat."

Sounded like basic recon, it just had a bit more potential impact if it wasn't Orochimaru and the sand were to be caught lying.

She really didn't want to be here, she wanted to be looking for her brother. She knew he was alive, she didn't want to think about where he might have been in the original timeline, she just wanted her big brother to come home.

He had found the scroll too, he would be able to help her.

They all agreed, turning to leave and begin their mission. It was a four day journey to the sand, and that was provided they didn't run into any problems along the way, and then a four day journey back. She would be away for over a week, unable to look for more signs of her brother.

She went about packing for the mission in a silent huff, only chatting to Neji when he puttered into her room.

"There's more I could be doing Ji-ji," She told him softly "instead I'm stuck dealing with this rubbish."

He stared up at her with big doughy eyes, adorable as always.

She sighed "It isn't their fault I know," She confessed to him, lifting him to give him a farewell cuddle "I'm just frustrated. It isn't like I can do much by myself anyways."

Perhaps once this was over, she could speak to Kurenai. She trusted Kurenai, and felt she could actually confide in her fellow kunoichi. First, she had a mission to complete.

 **Hi all!  
I don't write a lot of authors' notes at the end of my story, mostly because I do this just in my spare time around other more serious projects but I wanted to thank everyone who had followed or just enjoyed this story so far!  
It means a great deal to have your support on this! I spend some time away from fanfic due to some mental health problems so I'm pleased with my new page and my current story. I'll probably add other stories in time, but for now, I thank you for your time!**

 **TDBFly xx**


	9. Chapter 9

Shoko joined her teammates at the village gates, saying a cheery goodbye to Neji and Hinata before she did so. He was such a cute little four year old, and she was such a cute little two year old and aaahhhhh. She managed to avoid spending too long smushing their cheeks before they left.

Hinata would be three in the next six months, and Neji five, and she hated it. It would work out somehow; she'd change things, even if it meant giving her life instead. Neji deserved more.

Still, when she joined her three teammates, she managed to stay reasonably friendly. Except to Kakashi.

Somehow, she just couldn't find it in her to be kind to him anymore, knowing what she knew about him. She bantered with Kurenai and Gai, and tried to ignore Kakashi's comments which – thankfully – were few and far between.

Only Kurenai really seemed to notice.

"Hey Sho," She said softly, the two girls trailing behind the guys as Gai shouted youthfully.

"Have you and Kakashi fallen out? You just seem a bit…off."

Shoko shrugged, unaware that Kakashi was also cautiously listening in to their conversation. He had been around Gai for years; he had long since mastered blocking him out and listening to other things.

Shoko shrugged "No."

Kurenai scowled "Insightful Shoko."

She nudged her friend, who was trying to avoid her gaze and was instead glaring into the floor. She really didn't want to talk about it, she just wanted to pretend it wasn't there. But she couldn't. She couldn't because despite her manipulations, she knew her reasons were sound and she really _did_ care for her friends.

The problem was Kakashi did not.

"I'll tell you later okay, I just…I just need a little bit of space."

Kurenai nodded, giving her friends hand a squeeze in reassurance.

"Okay, whatever he did, I'm sure he'll figure out a way to say sorry," She smirked "In his own weird Kakashi way."

Shoko doubted it, although it did give an eavesdropping Kakashi some ideas. He really couldn't think of what he could have done to upset Shoko, but maybe he just needed to try some of the rubbish most boys seemed to do when faced with an angry girl. Flowers and chocolates and whatever other nonsense.

He didn't want to think too deeply into it, or too deeply into how much it stung that she was being so hostile. He liked to keep feelings and missions separate, but despite his best attempts, he really did care about Shoko Hyuuga.

Still, he listened only a few moments longer as the girls laughed amongst themselves and returned to ignoring Gai.

Shoko was decided, she would tell Kurenai about what she had heard tonight between shifts. Kurenai had told her she could trust her, and Shoko truly believed that she would understand and help her. Sure, she'd hate Kakashi for a bit but really Shoko was inclined to hate him too right now.

Still, she was pleased when they made their first camp for the night, still well within the land of fire borders and relatively safe. They took guard to get into the rhythm of the shifts, not because they were particularly wary about being attacked.

Gai was on first shift, with Shoko then Kurenai in the middle, rounding off with Kakashi. Shoko was hoping this would mean Kakashi was pretty deeply asleep when she and Kurenai sat down to talk.

"Come on then," Kurenai said softly "spill the beans."

Shoko took a steadying breath.

"I overheard the Hokage and Kakashi talking a few weeks ago."

Kurenai nodded "Right?"

"About a mission of Kakashi's."

Kurenai nodded again, slowly this time "Okaaaay."

"To spy on me."

Kurenai nodded one final time, and then suddenly stopped, blinked and gaped for a moment. Once that moment was over, she turned to glare at the back of Kakashi's head.

" _That little!"_

The earth went from under Shoko's feet, and for a fleeting moment she felt as though she was falling from a great height, but then the world suddenly shifted again and she was laying down in the inky blackness of who-knows-where.

She sat bolt upright in the darkness, there was something pressing against her eyes and when she reached up she was met with bandages. Her sudden movement had aggravated something else, and her ribs burned when she breathed.

What had happened? She felt around her, there was a windowsill of some sort, and potentially what might have been a bedside table. She realised after a moment of panicked breathing that she was in a bed of some kind, and kicked the bedsheets off of her legs haphazardly and swung her legs over the side to the floor.

Her mind and body were screaming at her, pain shot through her entire body making her mewl in pain but she was determined to keep it wrapped up inside. The floor was cold, her feet tingled and as soon as she tried to put her weight into her feet she crashed to the floor dragging something off the maybe-side table with her.

Whatever it was it smashed onto the floor, and a door was opened suddenly.

"Lady Hyuuga!"

She didn't recognise the voice, and flinched when the new comer reached over and grabbed her arm to try and hoist her back up, the pain was getting worse, she could feel herself beginning to slip into oblivion.

She vaguely heard the voice calling for help, before she was gone again.

 **?**

The next time she woke, she was able to hold her panic under a little more. She could hear the rustle of movement around her. When the rustling was close enough, Shoko reacted and grabbed hold of whoever it was. The person, a girl, shrieked and she heard a door open somewhere behind this voice.

"Lady Hyuuga! Please!"

She didn't know who they were, or why it was so dark, why was it so dark?

Something pricked her leg, and haze took her once again.

 **?**

Shoko must have drifted in and out of consciousness for an age, because she remembered only the vaguest of snippets. When she finally felt coherent again, she was slower, more cautious when she sat up.

"Ah, Lady Hyuuga. How are you feeling?"

"Where am I?"

There was another rustle, more movement she figured and something clunking on the floor. At a guess, she would say someone was now sat beside her bed. When the voice spoke again, louder, her guess was confirmed.

"You are in the Sand village, in our hospital. You sustained a great deal of injuries Lady Hyuuga."

"I'm not a lady." She answered curtly "How did I get here?"

The person, a man, paused "Well, truth be told we were hoping you could answer that. We found you outside the village, honestly we didn't think you'd make it."

Well, wasn't that just cheery as heck.

"Who are you?"

"Ah of course, my name is Yashamaru, I am an aide for the Kazekage and his children…what is your name? We are aware of your Hyuuga heritage, but other than that we know nothing about you."

"My name is Shoko Hyuuga, I was part of a team that was sent after you requested aide after Orochimaru was orchestrating attacks between our two villages. Where are my teammates? Why is it so dark? What injuries did I sustain? How long was I out?"

Yashamaru chuckled at the sudden bombardment of questions and information and waited until she sucked in a painful lungful of air, her ribs still ached.

"We found you alone, no other teammates and we haven't heard from the leaf since that letter was sent, it's dark because your eyes are bandaged, you sustained a long list full of injuries."

She waited for her final question to be answered, but Yashamaru skipped over it and started prattling on about some rubbish or another.

"Why are my eyes in bandages, and _how long have I been here."_

Yashamaru sighed "We aren't sure it's a good idea to tell you that yet, you're still really hurt miss Shoko."

Her mind was already starting to swirl with possibilities. Her eyes were injured? What did that mean? Had the sand taken them? Were they keeping her alive to steal Hyuuga secrets? _What?_

"Tell. Me. Now." She hissed.

Another sigh.

"Miss Shoko, you've been here for three months-"

 _THREE. MONTHS._ Where had the time gone? Where had her memories gone? What happened during the mission? Were her friends alright?

"-And as for your eyes…miss Shoko I'm very sorry, but we weren't able to restore your eyes to their previous state."

Her mind stalled, jumping around the sentence as it came out.

"Wh…what do you mean?"

Yashamaru reached forwards, taking hold of one of her hands softly in his own. His skin was soft, and his hands were warm and reassuring.

"Shoko, I'm sorry, but you're _blind._ "

Her world crumbled around her, her heart stuttered in her chest and her stomach lurched. Blind? How could she be blind? How could she save the world when she was _blind?_ There had to be a mistake, they hadn't looked properly, Tsunade could check for her, or Sakura or…

She hadn't realised she was babbling incoherently until Yashamaru wrapped himself around her, pulling her head to lean against his chest and hushing her gently.

Her vision hazed again, and she could feel herself slipping back into oblivion. She didn't care, maybe the next time she woke up, everything would be right with the world again.

It wouldn't, but believing it helped her sleep.

* * *

It had been a rough couple of months, for Kakashi Hatake. He had long since recovered from the physical injuries of the journey to the sand, but the fact was he had lost a lot more than he thought he could.

He could still see her, tumbling over the edge of the ravine…she saved their lives by taking Orochimaru's freakish pet with her, but despite their best efforts, the three remaining leaf ninja could not find any trace of their friend.

Kurenai had waited until they got home to screech at both him and Hokage, about his mission, about how Shoko had died knowing that she was his friend, but he wasn't hers. Knowing he had only been her friend to spy on her.

Asuma had taken her side, Gai had tried to stop the rift from forming but had failed. Gai was the only one that claimed Kakashi was her friend, either because of or in spite of the mission.

Honestly, the three weeks leading up to the mission had ached enough, knowing she had died to save him, even though she likely believed he would not have done the same for her.

Kami it made him ache.

He had thrown himself into his missions and abandoned the notion of friends. Friends died, he had long learned that friends you cared for the most, died for you.

He went to the shrine, and begged Obito for some kind of saving grace.

The monument was silent.


	10. Chapter 10

**One week later – Sand Village**

Shoko's world has become confined to her little bubble of hospital. She wasn't able to walk unaided, she had shattered the lower part of her left leg almost utterly, the doctors and nurses who had saved her life had done a great job of putting it back together.

She was missing a huge chunk of hair, which she hadn't noticed for a couple of days. Underneath was a gaping scar where part of her skull had been smacked onto who knew what. She'd broken four ribs, punctured a lung. Her muscles in her right hand and wrist were all strained beyond normal use for another three or so months according to the doctors that regularly checked on her.

According to Yashamaru, who had become her only real visitor, she had a spiderweb of scarring across her face, bleeding into her eyes leaving lightning strikes across them.

However, the highlight of her rather tedious recovery was the children.

Yashamaru had been idly telling her about the goings on of the village, and dodging all her important questions rather carefully, when there had been a knock at the door. She sat and waited for him to answer, but when he opened the door there was a rush of movement and high pitched giggling as three pairs of small feet pattered inside.

"Children!" Yashamaru gasped "Why aren't you at your lessons!"

"We missed you Uncle!"

Even if Shoko couldn't see them, just hearing a small voice reminded her of her own little nephew and niece back home. She almost wished the bandages were back on her eyes, she could feel them welling up at the memories of Neji and Hinata.

"Who is that Yashamaru?"

Shoko turned towards the voices, making sure she looked down at where she guessed they would be.

"This is Miss Shoko Hyuuga, she's staying at the village until she gets better," Yashamaru introduced "Miss Shoko, these are my nephews and my niece."

There was a chorus of hellos, and she smiled down at them, or where she thought they were.

"Your eyes are funny!" A girls voice chirped.

Yashamaru scolded her, but Shoko really appreciated her honesty.

"I'm afraid my eyes don't work anymore little one, that's why they look so odd, but all my family have funny eyes. It's our Kekkei Genkai."

The girl made an appreciative 'oooo' sound, Shoko felt someone clambering up onto her bed. She looked to where the movement was.

"What's your name little one?"

She could hear the grin, even without seeing it.

"Gaara!"

* * *

Gai tries his best to mollify Kurenai and Asuma, assure them that Kakashi was just as hurt as they were, but the pair of them weren't having it.

When they had returned from their mission, Kurenai had been inconsolable. Perhaps, if she had been allowed time to grieve before reporting to the Hokage, things might have been a little different.

Gai wished he could forget the whole thing.

Kakashi, Kurena and himself stood before the Hokage, the air of death hung around them like oil. It clung to them. Kakashi stonily delivered the report, including the unfortunate disappearance and likely death of Shoko Hyuuga.

"We will need to inform her clan," The Hokage had muttered "send them condolences…help with her funeral."

"Don't."

The Hokage was just as surprised as any of them, to hear the spite and despise in Kurenai's voice. Her own chakra was spitting like fire around her, and both he and Kakashi took a step back from her sudden rage.

"Kurenai, I understand that losing a comrade-"

" _DON'T YOU DARE PRETEND YOU CARE!"_

The Hokage stopped, a twinge of hurt on his normally composed face. Gai carefully reached out, laying a hand on her arm to try and calm her but she shook it off, glaring daggers at the Hokage.

"She knew!" Kurenai had screamed at him, turning her rage to Kakashi "She knew about your damn mission!"

Both Kakashi and the Hokage suddenly realised what that meant, and the guilt that was already building in Kakashi's gut had now increased tenfold. That was why she had been upset with him, but how could she have known?

"Mission?" Gai asked "What do you mean?"

Kurenai turned to him, tears pouring down her face as her distress only grew.

"Kakashi wasn't Shoko's friend!" She wept "He was _ordered_ to spy on her, by _him._ " The way she hissed it, looking straight at the Hokage, showed a viciousness in her that Gai had never seen even on the battlefield.

Kurenai had tried so hard to get Shoko to open up, to become her friend and build up their friendship. So had Asuma, and Gai, and at one point they thought Kakashi too. Even Gai now had to take it all into question, had to wonder how much of it was true.

Gai felt a new kind of misery inside him; he had thought that Kakashi was finally finding a way to move forwards from all the previous hurt in his life, he really truly had believed that Kakashi had become to care about Shoko more deeply than just as a friend.

Had that been a lie too?

But when Kurenai had left, and only the three of them were stood in the Hokage's office, he had seen that it was no lie.

Kakashi's face was stricken, the sudden realisation and pain that accompanied it _hurt._

He hadn't wanted to hurt her. He hadn't wanted her to die. He thought that she'd tell him the truth one day, about whatever her secret was, and that the village could help her.

That _he_ could help her.

He hadn't realised how much he had wanted to save her, from whatever it was that she was running from.

Now he'd never get the chance.

As such, when Gai was given a mission to return to the sand along with Hiro Hyuuga and Asuma, he found it difficult to accept.

When the Hokage told him, that the sand had sent them a photograph of a missing leaf ninja, he had tried not to give himself hope.

When he saw Shoko Hyuuga, sat upright in a hospital gown, scarred but very much _alive_ , he took the mission then and there.

He left that night, before the sun had set, before he had a chance to tell his friends. They would know soon enough, because Gai had ensurde the Hokage would have Kakashi waiting at the gate for their return. Kakashi deserved a second chance to prove he cared, and by heaven and hell Gai was going to make sure he got it.


	11. Chapter 11

There were a few things she had come to learn about the Sand Siblings, as they continued their visits into her room. She was still unable to walk, although she was gaining more use of her right arm bit by bit and Gaara had decided _he_ was going to be her temporary arm until it was fixed.

Honestly, she felt happier when Gaara helped her eat than the nurses, at least he giggled and laughed and squealed when she pretended to gobble his fingers. The nurses didn't really find that funny.

Temari was a sharp little thing, tongue as sharp as the fan she carried even at this age. Kankuro was a brash boy, but it was clear to her that he wanted to protect his little brother and sister and she admired that. Gaara was just…Christ what had _happened_ to Gaara?

He was such a sweet, wondrous little boy and so full of laughter, how did he come to boy that tried to kill Naruto and Sasuke at the genin exams?

Still, regardless of how much of a delight the three children were, they were a reminder of home. Neji, and the soon to be three year old Hinata. There were barely two months left, she had to get home by then. She had to. So every day when the doctors came through, the pressed herself as hard as she could to get stronger, to wiggle her toes and bend her knee just a tiny bit more. When the doctors left her, she flexed her fingers and pushed and pulled at the bed with the most strength she could muster.

Another week passed, and she was still confined to her bed and still hardly recalled how she got there. She remembered talking to Kurenai, stopping her from going after Kakashi as he slept, and vague flashes of a fight. That much she was sure of, they were in a fight of some sort and then it went wrong. She remembered falling, too. Sometimes when she slept, when the memories escaped her she was falling, falling and falling and never hitting the bottom. It was those dreams that scared her most, those ones that woke her in cold sweats.

They were, of course, waaaaaay better than the nightmares of the original timeline, but there was just a new kind of fear in her now.

She could feel at the edge of her senses the buzz of a dull beige chakra, and she knew Yashamaru was on his way to see her. That was another fun skill she had decided to work on, chakra sensing. Her eyes were gone, and although she still blinked herself away and waited for the darkness to fade into light, she had decided to be more productive with her loneliness. There had been several Hyuuga in the past that had used chakra sensing to enhance their abilities as a ninja, and given their connection to the chakra network it helped with their understanding of the ability and therefore their ability to learn.

As such, she was learning how to detect chakra on a higher scale, to try and make up for her eyes even just a little bit.

He knocked, and she called him in. She had been given comfier clothes a few days after she woke up, but she'd had to let someone help her shower. She'd hated that the most.

"Hello Yashamaru." She greeted as warmly as she could muster.

"Afternoon Miss Shoko, how are you feeling today?"

She gave half a shrug "The same as yesterday, slightly stronger, but mostly still weak and broken."

Yashamaru sighed; he'd given up trying to convince her she wasn't broken. The girl held too much sorrow inside her for someone so young; she was a young girl with an old soul.

"Well, I've got some good news for you Miss Shoko." He told her, looking at the shadows at the door.

Shoko frowned, trying to hide the fact she knew someone was there too. Her eyes betrayed her, even though they were sightless, they still darted across the room towards the door and back. Yashamaru had 'forgotten' to report to the Kazekage that their guest had been seeking out chakra. His brother-in-law wasn't his favourite person; he could deal without knowing everything about the girl.

"Another envoy from the leaf arrived, it seems as though one of our messages was finally able to get through."

She sat up a bit straighter, now openly staring over at the door. Leaf ninja, people she may actually _know._

"Can I…does this mean I get to go home?"

Yashamaru had hoped (in vain) that she wouldn't ask that, if she were able to walk a little it might have been considered but she was still recovering from such huge injuries and such a long time unconscious that she wasn't strong enough yet despite her best efforts.

"I don't think so Shoko, not quite yet."

She sighed, but steeled herself as she always did when she was told she wouldn't be able to do something yet, like walk or hold a spoon or even bathe. She missed her independence, and she hated relying on strangers.

"Okay, I'll bring them in, I've told them about your…well, the Kazekage didn't want them to think that..."

She nodded and waved her good hand at him "He didn't want them to think I'd been brainwashed into forgetting them yeah yeah let them in Yashamaru!"

She was clearly excited, finally smiling a proper smile. Sometimes he glimpsed a shadow of a smile when Gaara and his siblings were there, but he could tell there was always sadness behind it.

She hoped she recognised their voices that would be a good test. She'd have to learn how to tell people apart by their voices and their chakra anyways so might as well get started now.

"Hi Shoko."

She frowned, nope, she didn't recognise that voice at all. Their chakra was kind of a white/yellow colour, at least she'd know who he was in future. She hadn't met anyone with chakra like that so far in the sand. Not that she'd actually met many people yet.

She worried she wouldn't know any of the voices, but the worry was dashed away with the second voice.

" **MY MOST YOUTHFUL FRIEND! HOW I HAVE MISSED YOUR YOUTHFUL FACE!"**

Immediately, she started laughing. It was ugly, pure and delightful laughter. It made her gut ache and gave her a stitch but she couldn't help herself. Gai, it was Gai. It was Gai and his stupid wonderful shouting and it made her laugh until she couldn't breathe.

He was probably wearing that awful green jumpsuit, and that thought only served to make her laugh harder.

Yashamaru turned gently to the third leaf ninja, a Hyuuga for sure.

"I haven't seen her look even remotely close to that happy since she got here."

Hiro only grunted. It was good to see her in such good spirits, but he couldn't help but stare at the spiderweb of scars across her face and the gash across her skull, where thin tufty hair was trying to grow over it. He also could see the top of a gash on her shoulder, that trailed down under her hospital gown and to who knew where.

Yashamaru had given them a brief rundown about her injuries but had refused to go in-depth about them. She was still their guest and her privacy mattered, it didn't matter that he was clearly family, she got the same courtesy all patients of the hospital did. It meant they knew she'd been hurt, been blinded, but beyond that, they didn't know much.

Once Shoko had finally finished gasping for breath, she looked towards Asuma who had been the first to speak.

"I'm really sorry but I didn't recognise your voice."

He smiled although she couldn't see it.

"It's Asuma, Sho. We've missed you."

Her eyes were watering but she tried to blink it away. Hiro knew she was close with Asuma, she'd never understood why. He'd been the first to come to the compound to greet her; Hiro supposed that was the first step towards her being led away from clan values. He wished he could have gone back and squashed it then.

Asuma came forward, taking her hand carefully in his to try not to startle her with the touch. She grabbed his hand tightly, afraid if she let go then her friends would suddenly vanish.

"Wait, who else is with you?"

Gai managed to keep his surprise off his face, had she known there were going to be three of them? Or had she guessed?

"Hello Shoko, its Hiro. Lord Hyuuga wanted one of our own to be here to see you."

She nodded, still smiling "Damn I never thought I'd find a day where your voice wasn't annoying."

Hiro only grunted, making her smile wider. Typical Hiro, cranky until the end.

They spent some time talking, and Yashamaru left them alone for a little while. It felt good to have them here with her, it felt good to be around people that she recognised even if she couldn't see them. Asuma had wrapped her into a delicate hug, worried about hurting her further and she had leant gratefully into his chest and breathed him in for a moment.

She never thought the smell of cigarettes could be comforting but they were. He was probably a little too young to be smoking but she didn't have it in her to argue. She was filled with relief.

"Wait." She suddenly pulled away and looked towards the grey-green chakra that was Gai "If you're here, did Kurenai and Kakashi get home safe too?"

"Yes Shoko," Gai told her gently "thanks to you we all made it home."

She blinked in surprise.

"Thanks to me?"

Gai nodded, forgetting for a moment that she couldn't see it. He'd have to keep that in mind when they were talking, physical cues meant nothing now.

"You don't remember?" He asked her and she shook her head.

"No, I don't remember anything past the…third night? Second maybe? I'm not really sure."

Hiro reached out and grabbed Gai's sleeve, shaking his head furiously at him. Gai tugged away, ignoring the boy. For whatever reason, Hiro had been privy to the details of the mission by the order of Lord Hyuuga, who felt they had the right to know what had happened before they sent anyone along to retrieve Shoko. It had only served to reignite the boys dislike of them all, Kakashi in particular.

Although, besides Gai, not many people liked Kakashi right now.

"Do you want to know?" He asked, ignoring Hiro's fury.

She immediately nodded.

"Tell me everything."


	12. Chapter 12

**The Mission.**

Gai had woken that morning feeling refreshed, but had noticed a new hostility between Kakashi and Kurenai. Or rather, from Kurenai towards Kakashi. Clearly, Shoko had shared whatever he'd done to aggravate her and the older girl had agreed that whatever his silver-haired friend had done was awful.

Still, at least Kakashi didn't seem bothered, he clearly hadn't figured it out yet.

Gai smiled to himself as they walked along, Kakashi had never been the best at figuring out women. Sometimes Gai thought he was wilfully ignorant, it helped keep them at bay and meant he didn't have to lower any walls, sometimes though, Kakashi was just ignorant.

Still, Gai kept up a happy stream of chatter as they moved along, growing quieter only when they reached the edge of leaf territory. Beyond this point they were technically in a war zone, and that meant nowhere was safe. So they moved in silence for a time, setting up camp for another night then continuing the next day.

Everything was fine until the came to the ravine.

The bridge that they had planned to use to carry them across into the desert had been cut, and hung limply down the jagged cliff. It meant an extra day's journey provided the next bridge was intact, but they took it. It was only when Shoko said the code words that they knew they were in trouble.

"My eyes are sore."

Kakashi turned his head, eyes thin as he spoke to her.

"Your eyes are sore?"  
 _You're sure there are enemies?_

"Yeah, sore and dry."  
 _Yes. Enemies nearby._

Kakashi shrugged, acting unbothered. He was a great actor.

"Do you have anything for them?"  
 _Do we need to be ready?_

"Yes."  
 _Yes._

She reached into her backpack, tugging it off her arms and pulling it in front of her. After a few moments of grumbling, Kakashi sighed and walked over to help her. Together, they pretended to search her bag whilst their hands flicked out of sight. Gai didn't watch, nor did Kurenai. They both knew not to.

Once Shoko had informed Kakashi that there was only one enemy, but that he was closing in on them slowly and surely, she sighed and moaned about forgetting her eye drops. Kakashi resumed his place at the front, but they knew already to be ready.

So when Shoko and Kakashi spun, Gai and Kurenai spun with them. Shoko grabbed Kurenai's shoulder and Kurenai let her pull her back out of the way of the attack that Shoko had seen coming as soon as he launched. All four of them mad a semi-circle around this new enemy.

He was an oddly shaped creature, his arms were unnaturally long and the backs of his hands dragged across the floor, he was crouched down and his knees stuck out like he was on a small bicycle. He would have been a huge creature if he stood.

He cocked his head and smiled, and Gai noticed his teeth. Or lack thereof. His gums were pink and slimy, and his tongue dribbled out between them and slurped around his face. He was, for lack of a better term, freaky as hell.

"Ew." Kurenai muttered, echoing his sentiment.

"Who are you," Kakashi demanded, all three of them were ready for a fight, the creature rocked backward and forwards on his feet.

"Me?" He asked, his voice was shrill "I am Tadaaki. Lord Orochimaru has enjoyed the war between the leaf and sand, and as such wishes for me to prevent any ninja from either land reaching each other."

His voice was high and thick, quite possibly because of the lack of teeth. Still, the three of them observed him warily. If he was a project of Orochimaru's then there was no doubt there was something wrong with the man. Whether he was aware of it or not was another story, and it wasn't exactly like they were the first team to head out here. Which meant Tadaaki had killed several leaf ninja, possible sand ninja, too.

"So, unfortunately, you guys have to die, except that one," Lifting his arm seemed like a lot of effort as he pointed a lithe finger at Shoko "Lord Orochimaru does so want a Kekkei Genkai."

If Shoko was worried about that statement she didn't show it, her eyes thinned but her hands stayed steady and her chakra didn't waver. The Hyuuga had some way of keeping their eyes from enemies' hands, Gai didn't know much about it but he had heard it wasn't a savory procedure.

They all stayed still for a moment, waiting for the other to move. Tadaaki grinned, further revealing those empty gums. He unfolded, his legs lengthening and his arms still hanging by his sides. He was huge. Tall and lanky and not at all graceful, but still a giant among them. Gai had thought he would have been slow, but he lurched forwards headfirst at an alarming speed.

They all leaped aside and he barrelled forwards, turning at the last moment and flicking a long arm out towards Kurenai. She just kept a hairsbreadth away from his reaching fingers, but Tadaaki only cackled as he lurched at her again. His movements were smooth, but his footwork was sloppy like he still wasn't used to being quite so tall.

Still, it took only one good swipe to send Kurenai hurtling into the trees. Shoko turned, wanting to help her friend and those long fingers wrapped around her silky hair. She snarled at the sudden contact, spinning on her heel and cracking her fingers into several chakra points along his arm.

Tadaaki bellowed in dismay, and Kakashi danced over to take his attention as Shoko untangled herself from his now limp fingers. Tadaaki smiled, however, sensing an opportunity. He flicked his arm back like a whip, but Shoko held her ground and managed to hold back her roar of pain as a chunk of her hair was pulled away from her scalp.

Kurenai emerged from the forest, a twig in her hair and a sore hip but otherwise no worse for wear.

"Aw come ooooon." Tadaaki whined the sound hurt Gai's ears "Dying isn't so bad."

"We'll pass," Shoko growled at him, the patch of hair he had pulled out left an angry red patch of skin on her scalp. Shoko was furious.

He came forward again, wary this time of her ability to shut off his chakra network, and Gai ducked in to swing a ferocious kick into one of those long awkward legs. Gai was satisfied to hear the crunch of a bone, but seemingly Tadaaki didn't feel it. If he did, he masked it well.

They separated a third time, Tadaaki had finally lost his grin. Gai must have missed a strike whilst he was working around the legs of the creature because Shoko had a new tear in her white Hyuuga garb that hadn't been there before. He could see blood on her arm, but her hands were still steady, still strong.

"Fine." Tadaaki grumbled, "We'll do it the hard way."

He sucked in a great breath, his chest expanding hugely to contain all the air. The four of them frowned; bracing for whatever attacked was next.

Tadaaki opened his mouth and screamed.

In years to come, Gai would never hear a sound like it. It was like Tadaaki had opened a portal to hell in his own gullet and every abandoned tortured soul was shrieking in agony, begging to be freed. There was so much force behind the scream that it pushed their feet back in the dirt. Lights were exploding behind his eyes, even once the sound had stopped his ears were filled with shrill ringing.

He was swiped aside by hands he didn't see, and he went tumbling through the dirt. He gave himself a moment, listening to Tadaaki's heavy movements. Shoko was the only one still jumping around him, her Byakugan had saved her from the white blindness her fellow ninja was currently dealing with and she did her best to keep him away until they recovered.

His eyes blurred into focus, at last, Kakashi had rejoined the fight, but Kurenai had been flung against a rock and cracked her head. She wasn't moving.

Tadaaki gave a shrill, pointed shriek at Shoko and despite her efforts to block it still sent her flying back. Kakashi took her place, however, and Gai joined him. Every time Tadaaki tried to take a breath, they were there. Making it difficult for him to fill his lungs. He still managed to take gasps of air and shriek them back at them, Kakashi's balance was off and it showed.

Gai spotted blood by the ear of his rival, he'd popped and eardrum. Shoko was back in the fray, jumping in and out and trying to hit as much of his chakra network as she could. She made a silly mistake however when she went low and Kakashi was about to get knocked over the ravine and crashed into him to stop Tadaaki whipping his arm into the empty space.

They crashed over, rolling and barely stopping at the edge of the cliff, and Kakashi was quick to pull Shoko away. At least he tried, Tadaaki's long spindly hands had gotten hold of Shoko's wrist and she gasped in pain as her shoulder popped out of the socket. Tadaaki dragged her over to him and stomped hard on her leg.

This time, the sound of bones cracking was not satisfying at all.

Tadaaki grabbed her hair and held her up in front of them, both Kakashi and Gai stayed where they were. Tadaaki was grinning again, and he sucked up a great lungful of air. They braced, but when he shrieked at them again it hurt just as much as the first time.

Gai felt his own eardrums burst, the shriek was intensifying, his head was going to explode behind his eyes.

Gai didn't see what happened next, but Kakashi filled him in later.

Shoko had managed to get her feet beneath her, focusing on the pain in her leg to keep her grounded. Tadaaki had let go of her hair to focus on them and hadn't noticed her move underneath him. When she had braced herself for the pain, she straightened her legs as hard as she could and kept her chin tucked, slamming the back of her head under his chin. His shriek was caught in his throat, and he gargled as his gums smashed together. He staggered and began tumbling over the edge of the ravine. He had been stupid to put himself against the edge, and it showed now as he staggered to regain his balance.

Shoko was tired, she'd lost the strength to stand and was trying to pull herself away from his flails.

But, one of Tadaaki's long arms grabbed her shattered leg, and she screamed in pain. Kakashi was moving, staggering over towards her, but he was off balance and still feeling the effects of that last prolonged shriek. Tadaaki was using Shoko to climb up, he drove his fingers into her back and she yelled again.

He was going to kick her into the ravine and finish them off. So Shoko found one last reserve of strength from deep inside her, pulling herself tight against the cliff's edge.

She looked up at Kakashi, and their eyes met for the one fleeting moment before she propelled herself and Tadaaki down into the ravine.


	13. Chapter 13

"Well that doesn't sound like me at all."

Despite himself, Asuma smirked at her sarcastic response. He'd already heard the story of course, Kurenai had been devastated that she wasn't conscious to help. She'd thrown herself into training, angry and grieving. Still, Gai had a look of devastation.

"We searched for three days for you, but we couldn't find you _or_ Tadaaki. If we hadn't been hurt we would have stayed until we got to you."

She reached over and patted his hand.

"It's okay Gai, we're ninja, we know what we're getting into when we make the choice to fight."

" **MY MOST WONDERFUL FRIEND YOU ARE TOO FORGIVING!"**

Shoko smiled again, a proper smile too. Having Gai and Asuma (and Hiro too) made being stuck in bed just a little bit better. She still couldn't go home, but a part of home had come to her and that was almost as good. They sat and talked a little longer, Hiro kept quiet in the corner of the room, refusing to converse with the three of them.

Eventually, Yashamaru returned with the regular gaggle of doctors and nurses to help her with her rehabilitation and pain management.

"I'm sorry to pull you away," Yashamaru told them "Lord Kazekage would like to speak with you; I will also show you where you will be staying until Shoko can go home."

Asuma scowled "Why can't she come home now?"

A nurse huffed at him "Because we're the professionals and we said so. At the _earliest_ it'll be another month before she can leave."

Shoko shook her head "No way. I'm not staying another month. Two weeks."

"Miss Hyuuga-"

" _."_

The nurse decided it wasn't worth arguing and just thrust a thermometer into Shoko's mouth, and Yashamaru ushered the others out.

"We'll be back later Sho!" Asuma called over as they left, following Yashamaru down the corridors.

"She really can't leave for another month?" Gai asked, the older ninja sighed.

"She's stubborn," Yashamaru laughed "but she was almost dead when we found her. In fact I'm pretty sure she died twice on the table."

That was a scary thought.

"She wants to live, so she lived." Yashamaru conceded "I imagine if she wants to leave in two weeks, she'll leave in two weeks."

Now that sounded like Shoko.

* * *

It's been a rough couple of months for Kakashi Hatake.

He's essentially been ostracised by all but one of his friends, and he's lost someone he actually _had_ considered to be a close friend and now he was finding out that the Hyuuga wanted his head. Not that he was surprised, but regardless of all of it he was just following orders.

The Hokage didn't order him to care though; he'd managed that all on his own. So when the Hyuuga began their celebrations for the Lady Hinata's birthday a few months after Shoko had perished, and about three weeks after Gai, Asuma and Hiro had left on their mission to the sand (he didn't want to know what the mission was, in case they were coming back with a corpse) he stayed well out of the way.

So he was stood in the Hokage's office, vaguely aware of the latest tragedy. The lightening leader had tried to kidnap Hinata, and her father had rightly taken care of the would-be kidnapper. He wasn't entirely privy to the details, but he knew to placate the lightning's people, a body was to be given.

Kakashi was almost glad Shoko wasn't there to hear one of the men she called brother was dead, so the other man she called brother could continue to rule. Brothers shouldn't have to kill each other, but then they shouldn't be told one was more valued than the other. Thus was the Hyuuga way.

"Kakashi, are you listening?"

He blinked back into reality, and looked blankly down at the Hokage. He'd been staring absently out the window, away wondering what Shoko would have thought.

"You have to go to the sand."

Ah hell.

He nodded, barely hiding his upset at the idea. He didn't want to go to the sand, he wanted to stay here and pretend he didn't have friends. He'd been very honest with himself lately and he didn't like it.

"Because Shoko is still alive, Kakashi."

He blinked again, and the Hokage repeated what he said. Something uncurled inside him, hope, he realised suddenly. Hope.

"She needs to know what has happened to her family."

Shoko was alive. How had she survived the fall? Why was she in the sand?

"Gai and his team have left the sand; their journey is taking longer than I had hoped." The Hokage continued, unable to miss the light returning to the ninajs eyes "I want you to meet them half way."

"Why me."

The Hokage raised a wrinkled eyebrow and didn't answer. He was sending Kakashi because he needed to go and see it for himself. He was about to tell him about the girls eyes, but he blinked and Kakashi was gone. Hopefully Gai would be able to explain to him what had happened before Kakashi got the wrong idea. From what the mission report said, nobody had suspected anything was wrong with her eyes.

Was it the fall? Or was it the mysterious shrieking Tadaaki? He doubted they would ever know the truth, and that was just fine. It wasn't often that tragedies had a happy ending, or a happy-ish ending. Now he had to figure out what he was going to do about the Hyuuga situation.

Tensions in amongst the clan were at an all-time high. It wasn't unknown that members of the branch family had come to resent the main branch but for them to see how easily (in their minds) the clan head discarded his own twin brother for his own sake was the worst. Add the sudden death of Shoko and the Hokage's secret mission to have her watched, and most of the branch family wanted to revolt.

He was hoping that Shoko's return would help, and that she would be able to keep the branch family and the main branch connected. She had her own fight of course now she was blind, on top of the rumours of her _true_ relationship to the twins but that was all talk and no evidence.

He sighed, puffing at his pipe and staring at the scroll from Gai. Hiro was proving to be something of a problem on the mission, causing undue tension amongst the others. It seemed he held a strong grudge against the outsiders.

He was getting a headache. The branch family hated the main family, all the Hyuugas hated anyone that wasn't a Hyuuga and Shoko seemed to be the one shining light that didn't fall prey to the family traditions. She could be a great ally, provided things went well from here.

Hopefully, she and Kakashi would rekindle their friendship. He didn't like to play matchmaker or manipulate his ninja, but having a Hyuuga close to main family close to one of his own trusted ninja could prove useful in the future.

Provided of course, that she forgave him.


	14. Chapter 14

The journey home was hard in a lot of ways. It had been almost three weeks before she had convinced her friends and the sand nurses that she was ready to go home. She had to be carried, whether it was because she grew tired or because her leg still was healing, she had to be carried.

When Asuma carried her, she could joke and laugh and talk about the things they always had. When Gai carried her, he talked and joked and tried not to mention Kakashi.

Hiro though, Hiro was another story altogether.

All Hiro wanted to do was scold her for her life choices, tell her how if she had stayed in the compound and followed their traditions she wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place. Shoko ignored him, pretending to sleep or just straight up not looking at him. Or rather, looking towards him.

There was an empty, sinking feeling inside her, Hinata's birthday had gone. She hadn't been there. Her brother still died. She wanted to change it, and if she couldn't change it then she had wanted to be there. She hadn't seen her brothers in almost six months, and now she would never get to see him again.

They were slowing; the sun was getting low on the horizon, so she knew they were going to set up camp for another night. She found that she could tell when the sun was setting by the chill in the air, how she no longer felt its heat on her back as they traveled. It had been a slow journey and she hated it. She hated needing all that help just to walk, Yashamaru had given her a walking stick as a parting present and she'd given the sand siblings tight hugs.

She wouldn't see Gaara again for a long time; she hoped he'd remember her.

She had just drifted off to sleep beside the fire in her cosy camping bag when she heard an argument. There were two voices, then three and then four. Four? Someone new? Her eyelids were heavy, but she forced them open and stiffly pushed herself up into a seated position. Even sitting up was hard.

The voices changed, and she felt Gai's chakra come padding over to her. He crouched beside her.

"Are you alright Shoko?" His voice was soft; he could see she was tired.

"Who's here?"

Whoever it was had silver-white chakra, and Hiro was trying his best to quietly cuss whoever it was out. She rolled onto her knees, and Gai helped her to her feet. If Shoko wanted to get up, she'd get up whether she had help or not so it was best to just help her.

He placed her walking stick in her hand and led her around the fire, an arm wrapped in his to keep her steady. She couldn't walk far, but exercising her legs would help over time to get her back on her feet. They joined Hiro, Asuma and the new comer. She gazed over in the direction she could feel their chakra, it was strong and it was _pissed._

"You shouldn't even _be_ here." Hiro hissed furiously, trying to step between the newcomer and Shoko.

Shoko smacked the side of his shin with her stick, and he stepped back again still grumbling. She didn't even know who this person _was_ yet.

"Hiro, he's already shown you the Hokage's seal. He's doing as he's told."

Unbeknown to her, Kakashi was staring darkly at her face, eyes tracing the scars across her eyes and the cautious way she walked. It had taken him all of three seconds to clock that she was blind, and even less time to see how badly hurt she was. It ached, in a dull part inside of him that he had hidden away, it ached.

"Who is it for kami's sake?"

Hiro (wary of Shoko's walking stick) stood in front of Kakashi and in front of Shoko, fists clenched angrily.

"Nobody you need to worry about, you should be in bed resting." He reached out to take hold of her arm from Gai, to take her back to bed, but Kakashi's hand snapped around his wrist.

Hiro winced, Kakashi's grip was iron tight. He kept his face bland and neutral, but Hiro knew better than to try and fight against the copy-ninja. He had no power out here, and he was outnumbered.

"Then why are you arguing?" Shoko demanded, unaware of the stare off in front of her.

"Shoko," Asuma intervened, pushing both the boys aside "Kakashi is here-" Her heart skipped a beat "-with a message from the village. We didn't want to wake you," He glared at Hiro "but if you want you can hear the message now."

She looked over towards the silver-white chakra she now knew was Kakashi, and committed the signature to memory as she had with Gai and Asuma and Hiro.

"I want to know."

Asuma moved aside so Kakashi could come forwards, Hiro was fuming; he was going to have to report this to Lord Hyuuga once they got home. After what the Hokage and Kakashi had done they didn't deserve to be interfering with Shoko's life anymore. Once they got home, she would be assigned babysitting duty and that would be it. She'd be safe within the compound and out of the way of outsiders.

After all, what would they care about her now she was blind and defenseless?

"During Hinata's birthday there was an attempted kidnap," Kakashi told her, his voice was soft and smooth like water "the Lord Hokage dispatched of the kidnapper appropriately."

She nodded, letting the numbness spread out from her stomach. She knew this; she already knew all of this.

"But the kidnapper was there for the treaty with the lightning, he was their leader and Lord Hyuuga had killed him."

Even Hiro was listening in now, desperate to know what had happened to his clan.

"They demanded his head," Kakashi told her, he stepped forward a little closer, gently placing his hand on hers on top of her walking stick.

"So they gave him his brothers."

She'd been too late. She'd failed. She didn't realise she was crying until Kakashi had stepped forward to wrap her into a hug. She'd had been surprised if she wasn't so distraught. How was she supposed to save the world when she couldn't even save her brother? Couldn't even stop one small event?

She could hear something, faintly on the edge of her hearing. It was soft, but it grew and it made her heart thunder like it wanted to explode.

Kaguya's song drifted into her ears, and her knees went from underneath her. Kakashi had her though, held her against him so she wouldn't fall. His voice was soft in her ear, soothing, reassuring. Kaguya's singing filled her mind and she couldn't escape it.

She could feel she was slipping, her body wasn't strong enough to hold her together anymore. She hated being weak, but she feared Kaguya more.

Asuma was surprised at how soft Kakashi was when Shoko fell into him, surprised to see how soft he could be when someone needed him. He scooped her up when it was clear she was gone, carrying her back over to the sleeping bag she had woken from. Hiro was too stunned to even argue.

Hiashi and Hizashi. You couldn't have one without the other but…but now they had to.

Kakashi settled against a tree trunk just behind where Shoko was now sleeping, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. They had known she was close to Lord Hyuuga and his twin, but perhaps they had never truly known how close. She always called them brother; they had heard them call her sister.

Asuma knew she had lost one older brother already, now she had to lose another.

It was going to be a long night and an even longer journey home.


	15. Chapter 15

She's awake before dawn, but still after everyone else. Her chest aches, a weight has settled inside her ribs to sit on her lungs and hold her down. She can't hear Kaguya's sickeningly sweet voice anymore, just birds in the trees and the gentle rustle of the wind.

She uncurls slowly, as she always does now. Her body is slow and stiff and hurting, her limbs are heavy as she rolls onto her knees. She hears someone crouch beside her, a careful hand pulling hair out of her face.

"Do you want help?"

It's Kakashi, and she nods after only a moment hesitation. He's careful, letting her lean on him as much as she needs to in order to get to her feet. She keeps hold of him, now she's walking around she keeps feeling like she's spinning endlessly. The vertigo always passes, but it's unpleasant and always makes her stomach roll. Kakashi doesn't move, just lets her hold onto him until she's ready.

"Can you get my stick?"

"Sure."

He's gone for only a moment, but the moment is along enough for her to feel helpless in the dark. She had forgotten how big the world was, without her eyes there to guide her through it. She didn't walk too far, always walking first thing in the morning when she was rested, but she almost trips every day. Kakashi returns, taking her hand to place the stick carefully in it.

He stays there, wondering if he should take her arm the way Gai did the night before.

"Can I take your arm?" She asks quietly, meekly.

"Sure."

Asuma watches him reach down and gently curl her arm into his, he's not used to seeing the softer side of Kakashi Hatake and it was taking a bit of getting used to. Gai was just smiling at them both.

"He didn't deserve a second chance," Asuma told him sternly "But he wanted one, and sometimes that's just as important."

Gai nodded "He's a better man than you think Asuma, a better man than he thinks he is too."

That was up for debate, but Asuma would let it lie for now. If Shoko was willing to give him that second chance, then Asuma wouldn't stand in the way. But if he messed up again, that was it. No third chances. Regardless of how much he wanted one.

Hiro doesn't say anything; he's too busy digesting the news from last night. They pack up the camp and start their journey, taking their time and letting Shoko set the pace. Letting her stretch her legs was one of the small freedoms she got right now, she was confined always to someone's arm.

"I'm glad you made it home Kakashi," Shoko told him, ignoring the tension around them "I was so worried when the sand hadn't found you or Kurenai."

He didn't feel like he deserved it, but he was pleased for her concern nonetheless.

"I'm sorry about my mission."

She nodded, Asuma had filled her in on the goings on inside the village, and she hoped Kurenai would be able to forgive Kakashi now she was home. They were both her friends after all, regardless. Shoko was many things, but was determined not to be a hypocrite.

"It's okay." She squeezed his hand in hers "It hurt, and it made me sad, but I've had some time alone with myself and I don't know if I'd be able to disobey and order from the Hokage."

She smiled sadly "If anything I'm glad it was someone I knew, rather than a stranger I didn't know."

They carried on in silence, and when her legs began to shake Kakashi scooped her back into his arms and carried on walking. Hiro was starting to get his anger back, but he didn't know how to direct it anymore. He didn't know if he should have been angry at Kakashi for overstepping his boundaries or Shoko for letting him. Part of him knew he was being small and petty, but Shoko was an important part of the clan (nothing had been made clearer after her supposed death) and she needed to be within the clan surrounded by her kin.

In years to come, Hiro would regret not following her lead, but for now, he would stay stoically bitter and loyal only to his clan.

He would report all of this to Lord Hyuuga when he got home; they would find a way to manage this better now. Shoko wouldn't be able to be reckless anymore; her friends would spend less and less time with her now she was helpless like this. Kakashi was being kind through guilt only, no doubt the Hokage would too but once the guilt had passed they would cast aside as useless once more and she could go home and live peacefully.

Neji would need her now, the boy had been distraught as had Hinata but her pain was a different kind. They both mourned for their aunt, only one mourned their father. Thankfully, this would be the last day's travel before they were home. Shoko bantered with Asuma and Gai, comfortable in Kakashi's arms.

Hiro hated him. _Hated_ him. Shoko was too forgiving and naïve. That was all it was, childish naivety that would pass as she grew older.

He let the satisfaction of knowing she would grow out of Kakashi Hatake roll over him, finally finding the energy to smile.

In years to come, Hiro would always resent Kakashi, in a thousand different ways he would resent him. He wished he could change that too, but that was the glory of looking back.

Gai was supremely pleased, Asuma was talking to Kakashi (albeit not with the same ease he once had) and Kakashi had some light back in his eyes. Shoko was sleeping soundly in his arms now, worn out already by the journey.

"What happens when we get home?" Asuma asked softly, aware not only of Shoko but of Hiro trailing along just behind them.

"Shoko won't want to stop being a ninja." Kakashi said, "But this will set her back a long way."

Gai nodded "She'll be starting all over from scratch."

"Not all the way," Asuma argued "She still has all her skills; she just needs to figure out a new way to see that doesn't use her eyes."

The boys pondered on this for a while, until the gate of the village loomed into view. Kakashi softly woke Shoko up, she had asked to be awake when they finally got home, she wanted to be awake when she got back to the Hyuuga compound and when she was with her family again.

"We're home?" She asked blearily, rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah," Kakashi told her "We're home. Hiro is going to take you to the compound so you can see the Hyuuga doctors."

She scowled yet another thing she couldn't wait for the Hokage to abolish. Still, she was pleased she could slowly walk into the village even if it was difficult to do so. As soon as she was over the border Hiro scooped her up into his arms and turned to the boys, glaring daggers.

"You are no longer needed." He said stiffly.

"Uh, actually if you guys could tell Kurenai I'm home and send her over tomorrow I'd really appreciate it."

Hiro sighed, well, of all her friends Kurenai was the one he could at least tolerate. She respected the Hyuuga traditions, and she was sure Shoko could use a good 'girl-friend' or whatever. Still, the boys confirmed and said farewell and they were leaping through the village.

Shoko sighed, happy at last. She might have failed to save her brother, but she was still glad to be home and with her family and friends and just familiar people again. She had enjoyed meeting Gaara and had promised she would find a way to write to the little boy, but she longed for her nephew and niece.

Mostly, she just longed to be home.


	16. Chapter 16

**After returning home.**

True to their word, Kurenai comes by after she's spent a night with the Hyuuga doctors, thankfully in her own room. Neji had come barrelling through full of heart-wrenching sobs and had flung himself onto her bed to weep into her lap. Even Lord Hyuuga didn't disturb her until Neji had cried himself to sleep curled up against her chest.

He came in slowly, making sure he didn't wake the young boy.

"Hello Shoko." He said, and she tried a weak smile at him.

"A lot has happened, hasn't it brother?" She asked, hearing him move over, feeling his chakra waver as he approached.

He was sad, they were both sad. He brushed her hair from her face, hesitating for a moment before he leant down to kiss her forehead softly. He didn't mention the fact that her seal was practically gone, only a few faded lines of green the only thing left. He knew this meant her Byakugan was gone, sealed away.

She must have died during her injuries, and for a substantial time. If she hadn't, then the seal would have stayed. It was incredibly rare, but it did happen from time to time. Normally, the seal would be re-done but he was desperately tired of the seal and the troubles it brought. She was blind, her Byakugan was clearly ruined and the scarring over her face and he wasn't interested in listening to people debate it.

He'd lost one sibling to that damned seal, he refused to lose another.

Looking down at the seal haphazardly hid under his own long silky hair, Neji slept with a scowl on his face. He always seemed to scowl now.

"I am so glad you're home." He whispered, because he feared if he spoke any louder his voice would break and the careful façade he had created would crumble away.

"Its okay brother," Shoko whispered back, reaching out and just about finding his hand "I don't know what happened, but I know you loved him."

He let a few stray tears dribble down his face and slip off his chin to the floor. It had been almost too much the last few months, dealing with the news of Shoko's death, and then his brother's death and then finding out Shoko had been alive all the while. There was an empty grave and a headstone with her name on they would have to move, his greatest relief was knowing that his brother had found out Shoko had been alive before his own passing.

"We will figure this all out," She continued softly, letting go of his hand to stroke Neji's head and ease the frown from his face "I don't know how, but we will."

Lord Hyuuga thanked the gods for the small mercy that was Shoko Hyuuga.

In the days coming Shoko spent her time inside the compound, she was visited regularly by her friends even if Kakashi had to slip in secretly. Her brother hadn't forgiven him his lie, or the Hokage, so he was _technically_ banned from the compound but things like rules had never stopped Kakashi.

"The village is looking whole again," He told her from his perch on her windowsill "money from missions is building back up but until the next generation or so takes over we'll be low on numbers."

She hummed, trailing her hands over her desk to help grow accustomed to guessing what objects were without her eyes. She found something spiky and held it up at Kakashi's silvery chakra point.

"Hairbrush?"

"Correct."

She grinned and popped it back where she found it on her desk. She wasn't confined to her bed or her room any more, but she couldn't walk far and she decided she needed to get familiar with the place she was sleeping first.

"It helps that we finally have our peace with the sand," He continued "it's a tumultuous peace but a peace nonetheless."

She reached over a new object, hissing when she cut herself on the edge.

"Kunai." She grumbled.

"Correct." Kakashi had a smile in his voice; she scowled over at his silvery chakra blob.

"When is your next mission?"

"Not for a few days yet." He told her "The Hokage wants me to help with the kid."

She frowned "The kid?"

"Naruto."

She turned to him properly, staring over where she knew he was. She'd forgotten, Kakashi had been anbu before he had taken on team seven (his previous team's failings were all due to a reluctance to leave anbu more than anything) and thus had to involve himself with Naruto.

"Where is he?" She asked.

"Classified."

She shook her head, resting her chin on her hand. Kushina sensei wouldn't have wanted this. Neither of his parents would. Naruto was supposed to be the hero of the leaf, he saved them all and he didn't even know it and everyone else condemned him for it. It wasn't right.

"What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, she was scowling angrily down at her desk, unseeing eyes unmoving.

"Did you know I was on Kushina's team before she died?"

Kakashi blinked, as a matter of fact he hadn't known that. Or rather, he hadn't bothered to pay attention to it. He had known Kushina had a team of her own for a period before her pregnancy with Naruto, had even known there was a leftover Hyuuga on the team but he couldn't have said it was her.

The 'leftover Hyuuga' he had been told about was a meek little thing with hardly any confidence and an unrelenting worship of her clan. That description and the Shoko he knew just didn't add up.

"No," He told her "I didn't."

"When she told us she was pregnant, she was so excited." She recalled, thinking back to the day with a smile.

"She told us all the things she couldn't wait to do with him."

Kakashi didn't say anything, Shoko had never spoken about her training before she had met them, before the ninetails attack. Before her sensei, like his, had died.

"And now he's kept hidden away cared for by emotionless, masked people who he will no doubt forget one day."

It wasn't right. He knew it wasn't right. He had always thought that if something like this happened to his sensei that _he_ would step up for the child. But looking at the squalling Naruto had hurt, he looked so much like his father that the idea of even holding him burned. Looking at Shoko, at the darkness that was no doubt looming over her, he could tell that if she had been given the option she would have taken him without hesitation.

She was a better person than he was.

"When he gets older, when he's out of anbu care, I'm going to help him."

"That's not a good idea."

"Fuck good. It's _right._ "


	17. Chapter 17

**One year after. Seven years before est.**

It's still hard without her eyes, but bit by bit she was finding a new way to be independent. She had developed her chakra skills to a fine art; she could see almost anything through chakra as long as it wasn't entirely man made. She struggled with plastics, and some clothing, but anything that could host chakra (or anything from the earth) she could see in a general kind of way.

Sometimes when she lost focus, so did the world around her, but the more she relied on her chakra the more instinctive it became. So when she asked Gai to spar again, nobody was really surprised.

Fighting is an entirely new world for her. She can't see anything in the air, she was getting better at guessing the trajectory of weapons or even of Gai flying through the air but she had a huge vulnerability she wasn't sure she could compensate for.

"That's enough for today!" Gai called to her, jogging over to where she was laid on the floor trying to get her breath back.

"You're getting much better Shoko," He told her, standing over her "you're even starting to use earth jujtsu again! An excellent step!"

She mumbled a thanks, but stayed down on the ground. She had taken to wearing only shorts and a cropped top for these sessions to give her more points of contact with the earth and she found herself comfortable in the dirt. She'd been thinking lately about what her next steps were.

It was likely she wouldn't be able to return to active duty for a long time, but there was still a lot she could do within the village but she knew what she _wanted_ to do. Naruto was the biggest part of this world, he and Sasuke would be too but she knew he would be out of reach to her. Even if she could find a way to get to meet him, after the massacre he would put up walls that would take a lifetime to bring down and she didn't have that time.

But Naruto, Naruto was there to be moulded. From what she had learnt from Sakura, Naruto had been essentially abandoned after he hit about five or six, left to fend for himself with some meagre orphanage funds to keep him going. It really ground her up inside, that a kid that age could be cast out like that.

She had set a few things in motion the last month or so, and now she had to take the final step. She sat up and let Gai help her to her feet.

"Do you have much planned for the rest of the day?" He asked her, Kakashi was away on a mission right now, and whenever he went away Gai took it upon himself to make sure Shoko was alright until he got home.

"I've got to speak to my brother," She told him "I'm moving out of the compound."

He frowned "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

She nodded, she'd never felt surer about anything. She'd lived her whole first life in the compound and had never even considered the idea of living outside of its walls but she knew if she wanted to help Naruto then that was her only option. Nobody had tried to get too close to Naruto before, and she wasn't sure the Hokage would allow it if she was still in the compound.

"I can't stay there anymore." She told him "I can't be treated like a china doll any longer."

Gai understood her frustration. Her family meant well, but since her brother's untimely passing and her near-death mission to the sand her brother had been overly protective of all his closest kin. Neji found his uncle overbearing and loathed the man with a fire no child should hold, and Hinata adored her aunt but was frightened of her cousin's hostility.

"Would you like me to escort you to the compound?" He asked her, offering her an arm which she smiled and took.

Gai was always a true gentleman, and the Hyuuga's that met him at the gate always greeted him warmly. Kakashi was no longer barred from the compound, but the guards glowered at him whenever he came to see her. She bid him farewell and headed inside, following the map she had created in her mind of the compound.

That was the other thing she'd had to improve without her eyes, her memory. She no longer had visual clues to remind her where she was, and it had taken her ages to learn the way in and out of all the many rooms inside the compound and the various buildings that filled it. Still, she knew how to get to her room and to her brothers office, as well as Neji and Hinata's room and she rarely went anywhere else in the compound.

So it was easy enough for her to find said office, with said brother sat inside with his head laid on his desk. She didn't knock; she just walked in and cleared her throat to gain his attention.

"Yes Shoko?" He asked, not taking his head from the desk.

"I want to move out of the compound."

He lifted his head just enough so that he could look at her, wishing she could see the aggravation he currently held. He wasn't entirely surprised, people tip-toed around her and she'd always been a fierce girl. Well, ever since the nine tails attack anyway.

"You want permission?" He asked her, all Hyuuga had to ask to move out of the compound; for the most part it was all for show and he hadn't ever needed to deny anyone their request.

"I do. I've found a nice apartment that I can afford, just across from the academy." She told him, he sighed and finally sat up properly in his chair, cracking the soreness out of his neck.

"I understand, will you at least allow me to set up a fund for you? I know you don't want to, but you won't have mission income and I'm loathe to let you go without at least that in place."

She nodded "I'll take a fund, I'm not sure I'll need it but I'll let you set it up for me."

As a 'vulnerable' member of the community, Shoko was entitled to a village funded bursary every month. It wasn't a lot but it would ensure that if she ever found herself in need of some emergency repairs and such she would be able to afford it. She knew she had enough money from her clan wage (she knew that would come to an end eventually too, but she would be ready when it did) but it didn't hurt to have some extra to save away.

She'd thought it all out and planned it thoroughly, she'd even picked the location outside the academy so she had a higher chance of running into Naruto once he joined the academy in about a years' time. Neji had made his disgust at the academy _very_ clear to them all but it couldn't be helped.

There weren't enough Hyuuga children to continue with their internal education, and it was about time they learned to live amongst the village like everyone else did.

"Neji will be upset."

"There's a spare room I'm going to have for him," She told him "as long as you allow it he can come visit whenever he likes, and hopefully that will keep him from getting too upset."

Neji relied so much on her, her brother thought, more than he did on his uncle. It hurt him inside, but he understood. Until the day came where he could tell Neji the truth, he would always harbour hatred for him.

"Alright then Shoko," He told her, looking up at those scarred eyes "I hope you know what you're doing."

She smiled at him.

"Always brother."

 **Hi guys,**

 **Sorry about the delay in getting this out there. As I'm sure you all know, things have been crazy these last few weeks. I hope you are all safe and keeping well.**


End file.
